Legend of the Metalbending Avatar - Book 1: Metal
by JapanDreamer09
Summary: 30 years after the Harmonic Convergence, Avatar Korra had vanished from the world and a new Avatar cycle has started. The new Avatar is plunged into a world where he isn't welcomed and will now face a dangerous foe not from his past but from his previous life. As the first metalbending Avatar, it'll take more than just bending the four elements to survive.
1. Warnings

Hi everyone! To my fans, this was a story that I've mentioned before that I might publish on fanfic (I had a poll to vote). For staying with me for so long, I figure I should update this as a holiday gift to you all. Plus, I would love some feedback. **This fate of this story rests in your hands.** lol.

Now, a bit of introduction to those new before we begin.

My username is **JapanDreamer09** (you can call me JD for short). I've written other stories before but this is my first 'sort of' Avatar Korra story that I came up a while back when Legend of Korra had only one season. I was actually going to scrape this story after I heard about the new seasons added but I thought, eh, why not write and see where this can go. I'll give more details once we get further into the story plot.

So a little bit about me as a writer for those who don't know me. I'm mostly third person and updates are random. Holidays are when I update fast and school… not so much. I LOVE reviews. They let me know there are people out there who enjoy what I write or who want to help me improve on my writing. Please keep them tasteful at the very least.

My grammar is not the greatest I'll admit (and you'll probably notice this in my other stories as well), but I hope with practice and editing I'll be able to improve.

I have **Author's Notes **where I thank reviewers, provide information and updates on stories, opinions, questions, etc. So if you have the time, please read them.

With that said, I've already prepared two chapters for this story. **The next chapter will be out in a couple days so keep a look out. **

Thank you **SinCityAssassin** for betaing this chapter.

Enjoy the chapter!

**Prologue:**

**Fire**

**Air**

**Water**

**Earth**

The four elements that an Avatar must master, each of them unique in what they bring to the world, but what differences they have regardless connects them together into a single cycle… and into a single entity: The Avatar, a legendary figure that is almost certainly etched in the pillars of history during their lifetime as they fulfill their duties to bring peace during times of trouble.

It was Avatar Aang who ended the Hundred Year War on the day of Sozin's Comet, and it was him who relieved tensions in the Harmony Restoration Movement and help founded Republic City.

Decades after that, during the Harmonic Convergence, it was Avatar Korra who defeated the spirit of darkness, Vaatu, and ushered in a new peace where humans and spirits could coexist in harmony. But the price she paid in victory was tremendous, ending the past Avatar line of ten thousand years with her, branding her as the first in a new line of Avatars.

Because of this event, Korra realized the importance of unity and founded an academy in Republic City that represented her dreams to lead the new generation into an era of friendship and peace.

But there are times when the desire for peace brings trouble instead, a problem that transcends even into the next life of the Avatar. And this is where the story begins…

...

It was a relatively windy, yet calm day in the South Sea. The intoxicating salty air was filled with the sounds of seagulls as they circled up high like lion vultures. In the vast emptiness of blue, the fishing trawler sliced through the water somewhat with ease, bringing a school of dolphin swordfishes alongside. It was a serene image, almost good enough to stamp on a postcard. It was a shame he couldn't enjoy it as much as he could as he continued to vomit over the railings.

"Still not used to the waters, huh?" The thirty-year old man ignored the sailor's jibe and the crewmen's laughter as he shakily got back up. Never again will he agree to do this.

"Be kind to our guest," a stern deep voice boomed through the laughter. "And get back to work! I didn't pay you all here to act like raving hyenawolves." Everybody quieted as the captain came out from port and they returned to their duties. The captain wore a traditional blue Water Tribe tunic, his sunburnt arms thickly wrapped around with white bandages. His large hands were weathered from years of working on a ship. His name was Talulah, but everyone called him "Red Bear" for his thick and messy reddish-brown beard that accented his looming stature.

"Mr. Farran, are you feeling better? I'm sorry you had to experience that terrible storm last night."

Feeling better than he did a few seconds ago, Farran didn't respond for a good minute for fear of throwing up again. He instead straightened his brown duster and the flat cap on his head, his face still slightly green.

"This is stupid. I should not be this seasick," Farran wiped the vomit from his mouth with the back of his hand. He decided to keep one hand on the railing just to be safe.

"Do not worry. Plenty of people cannot handle rough waves, it's perfectly normal."

_Not for the rest of the crew. I'm pretty much giving them a free sideshow act_, Farran thought bitterly. He was the only one here who had no real experience with sailing, so it wasn't a surprise the rest were faring better than he was. He wouldn't be surprise if by the end of this trip his new nickname would be "Barf Boy", a name that definitely would not carry the same weight as "Red Bear".

"Remind me why we are here again?"

"Exactly Talulah! Why **are** we here?" A haggard voice called out. A much older man shuffled from behind. Despite his short and feeble stature, the man gave a rather scathing glare at Farran and slammed his walking stick to the ground repeatedly as a way to show his irritation.

"These waters are sacred grounds. Didn't last night's storm prove that?! We have no right to desecrate such a place. I keep telling you over and over again, but ye won't listen…" The old man started to cough violently into his handkerchief. Talulah went over immediately and handed the elder a small open bottle. The height difference between the two was really rather remarkable as they stood side by side.

"Take that away from me!" The elderly man snapped, slapping the bottle away. Pearly white beads spilled and scattered onto the deck. "I will not put that vile poison into my body."

"These medicines will help your coughing. The doctor said…"

"Bah, the doctor spews nothing but lies from his mouth. I make do with healers. As should you!" The old man stalked off. "I've warned you countless times! These waters should be best left alone. You are dabbling into forces you don't understand." The yelling and continuous loud pounding of his walking stick made Farran wonder if the old man was as deaf as he was rancorous.

"Master," Talulah said with a firm voice, "If there is one thing I hate, it is fearing the unknown. You claim it is the work of the spirit, yet they don't add up with tales from men. You have taught me that knowledge should not be shunned away and to never believe that ignorance is bliss." The old man looked with disdain and gave another glare at Farran as if this was his fault before storming off while in fits of coughs.

"Charming," Farran muttered under his breath.

"Sorry," Talulah apologized immediately. "He is a bit stubborn and suspicious toward new guests. It is best to leave it. And you over there! Clean this up." A young and stocky deck swabber appeared immediately with a bucket of water. Lacking a mop, the swabby moved his arms to effortlessly levitate the water out of the pail and onto the floor.

The Red Bear had wanted to follow the old man, but then decided against it. Instead, he walked to the bow of the ship with Farran following behind. That apology didn't cut it for him, especially when it wasn't from the right person.

"That's putting it mildly," Farran said and paused for a moment to grab a cigarette and lighter from his pocket before continuing. "He's a bit of a Traditionalist isn't he?" It wasn't really a question. "I'm surprise you two aren't at each other's throat. Literally. With knives." He offered a cigarette from his pack, but the Red Bear merely shook his head.

"We… have our differences. I had always been a… rather disobedient student under his care, asking more questions than I should have, disrupting lectures with doubts. But he is still an important member of the tribe."

"Won't be for long." Farran took a long drag before realizing that he sounded rather tactless. "I mean, the world is changing and he'd still stuck in the past. Not that I have anything against Traditionalists, but it's the bloody truth."

"That may be true, but I do believe that we can still find a way to work together. There has to be some sort of middle ground where everybody can be satisfied." Talulah sounded so heartfelt, but Farran couldn't help scoffing at such a simple ideal before continuing to smoke. For someone who was almost twice of Farran's age, width, height, and overall body size, Talulah sure had the optimism of a fresh recruit.

"Traditionalists and Progressivists working together? Now I would pay a few bucks to see that bout." There was a pause in the conversation before he felt it was best to change subjects.

"So," Farran blew out a ring of smoke that quickly dissipated in the ocean winds. "What is this whole thing about spirits your master was so worried about?" He tried sounding nonchalant about it, but it seemed he didn't quite pull it off, judging by the captain's face.

"It's just an old tale among the Southern Water Tribe. The waters here are usually dangerous, and storms are unpredictable, even with the right instrument to read the weather. Before we had technology to determine this, many ships had disappeared in these rough waters, never to be heard from again. The elders had claimed it was the work of the spirits."

"So it's just another myth, right? I get it that people just blame spirits for anything they can't understand, but these waters are only dangerous because of the climate and weather." Still, Farran looked uneasily at the floor as if it was going to tear apart under his feet any second.

"Perhaps," Talulah said in a careful tone, "If we were to compare, the storms are more frequent in this certain area than the other places we've sailed. However, that does not make these waters any less mysterious, and no less deadly."

"Great way for explaining by being more cryptic." Farran threw his finished cigarette to the ground and snubbed the flame out with the heel of his shoe.

"Newer generations of ships are able to sail across this area now under the right captain and weather conditions. But it doesn't explain the tales about the waterbenders."

"Waterbenders?"

"Really now, did they not inform you of what happened to them?"

"Please, I'm only here to make sure my little baby works. I am a mechanic, not a librarian." Talulah gave a rather strange look at Farran before continuing.

"Since as far back as one could remember, there have been tales of malicious creatures that would punish those who enter these parts. Any that survive their journey claimed that their waterbenders were unable to control the ocean's waves and their ships would lose control, doomed to sink into the dark depths. This ship graveyard brings nothing but misfortune."

"Pfft… they're just making up excuses for their incompetence." Farran stated, making clear that he thought that the story was full of hogwash.

"Watch your tone," Talulah said with an angry look in his eyes. "Men may exaggerate stories, but no sailor would go as far as to fake a tale about the loss of their bending. Waterbending is the center of our lives, and must be treated with great respect. Unfortunately, I can't say half of this crew thinks the same way I do."

Talulah glared at the younger members of the crew, who took advantage of the peaceful break of the storm performing waterbending parlor tricks and talking amongst themselves, slacking off from their duties. It was clear that a veteran of the sea like Taluah wouldn't want to deal with this sort of behavior on his ship, but orders were orders. At least he had his own crewmembers who were more like him.

"Sorry," Farran muttered, not looking so in the slightest.

"You sure that contraption of yours can handle the job?" There was skepticism was clear in the man's voice that Farran did not like.

"Of course she can," the mechanic said, slightly offended. "Our president would never allow a faulty sea craft to reach the hands of such an important client. We have a reputation to keep." He could imagine the machine just below them, attached to the ship's hull. Sleek and pristine with their shiny company logo engraved, ready for its maiden voyage of sorts. Future Industries' newest invention was going to make the front pages after this.

"The proper name of the contraption is the submarine – it's a design that we've finally perfected and one I'm very proud of. I've said to you earlier that we've had it tested multiple times before we deemed it safe. It's definitely one of the first of its kind that doesn't need a waterbender to navigate. We've also found an efficient way to store air in its tanks, which allow the submarine to dive deeper for longer. But of course, anybody in that machine must be certified in underwater diving and know how to handle the equipment.

"So overall," Farran concluded with a dramatic flair, "any kind of treasure down there is now at the very tip of your fingers. Well, so to speak. You have to use mechanical arms to pick things up."

"Yes, that's what your president kept saying to my superior," Talulah grumbled, still looking unconvinced.

"What can I say? She knows how to sell it to the customer. She had been at this for quite a while. And, let's face it; your boss is what we like to call a 'modern day pirate'."

"And yet, you knew nothing about the tales of waterbenders losing their bending?"

"Hey, your boss wants to loot the bottom of the ocean. I'm only here to make sure nothing goes wrong. If you're wondering if your boss gave me garlic to ward off spirits, I'm afraid he didn't."

"He is a man who doesn't believe in the spiritual side of life. My master insisted in coming here to prove him wrong and prevent the desecration of a spiritual residence."

"Well, it's not like you believe it either." Talulah gave Farran a rather long and hard stare that he was starting to wonder if he had offended the older man when he started to reply.

"Farran, whether it is spirits or not, the truth should not be shunned or dismissed. It is important for people to understand not just 'what had happened' but 'why it happened'. While we're searching for answers, we should never shun out possibilities. It is possibilities that allow us to go farther.

"You are here because my boss wants what is down in these waters. I do not agree with his goals, but I agreed to lead this expedition because I wanted to understand why these waters are dangerous. Maybe then we can find a better method that can spare others of such terrible fates that will satisfy other men's greed."

"Spoken like a man I can truly respect," Farran smirked, leaving the Red Bear puzzled. "But, a word of advice that has 'nothing' to do with what we're talking about now – sometimes a beautiful lie is better than the ugly truth. Think on that."

Before Red Bear could open his mouth to either express confusion or impart a retort back, their conversation was cut short by a rather loud splashing sound. At first, Farran thought a big wave hit the ship but the sound had come from behind them.

The two men turned around and saw a peculiar sight. The water that a young waterbender was bending fell to the ground, drenching the floor. But he wasn't the only one who did that. All the waterbenders had dropped their small body of water to the ground. Simultaneously.

There was a deep silence. The young waterbender, with his pants now soaked, looking like he had wet himself, had a frightened look in his eyes as his hands moved across the floor, but the water remained in its place. He turned to Taluah. "I-I-I…"

"Get your machine ready. It's time to see if Future Industries is all that great as they say."

"What?" But the Red Bear had already disappeared. He ignored the waterbenders before him as he walked across the deck. Barking orders to his more veteran nonbender crewmembers, Taluah's face looked grimmer than before.

Farran turned toward the sea. Nothing looked different to him. The sky was the still same shade of grey; the water splashed calmly against the hull of the ship. But (and it might be his paranoia) the wind seemed to have slowed down into a soft whisper. As though they were in the presence of something terrifying to behold.

Now on the ship was an entirely different story. Farran noticed that all the cocky and cheerful looks on these waterbenders were replaced with horror. They were all still trying to move the puddles of water off the ground and yelled nonsensical words. The ship had slowed down to almost a complete halt and bobbed up and down in the middle of vast emptiness. Talulah appeared next to Farran again and carried a large bundle wrapped in thick cloth.

"What's going on?" Farran demanded. He fumbled in his pocket for another cigarette to steady his nerves.

"We are here," Taluah replied in a dark tone, "The Somers Circle."

**Author's Notes**

I hope everybody have a good holiday. I spent my Christmas moving furniture, so I'm feeling quite sore at the moment. XP

Anyways, to those who have read this, I would love some feedback as I continue on with this story.

Next update will be in a couple of days. Favorite, Story Alert, or whatever if you would like to know what happens next.

See you in the next chapter and have a good holiday!

**-JapanDreamer**


	2. The Interrogation

Hey guys! So, like I promise, the next chapter is up! And we get some familiar characters in this chapter so keep a look out.

Thanks **SinCityAssassin **for betaing this chapter.

Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 1:**

Present day:

Metalbending Police Force Building, Republic City

Jinora was sweating in her thick red cape despite the cool spring breeze that whipped across the wide courtyard, scattering leaves everywhere. The book she was planning to read for today laid forgotten in her briefcase along with the lecture notes for the class she had to cancel. Although Jinora was currently lost in her thoughts during the trip here, the world continued to move on around her and seemed to be swirling past her.

Upon arriving to police headquarters, the large metal gates were shut tightly away from the pedestrians. Quite a few members of the police force were already on crowd control, guarding the gates from the reporters. They were demanding for a word, scribbling hastily onto their notepads, or flashing their cameras. One had attempted to climb over the wall, but was immediately caught and dragged down by the guards. They were all shouting, as the airbender glided her way through. When one of officers saw her credentials, Jinora was quickly escorted past the security though not before some of the reporters recognized her and bombard her with questions.

"Professor Jinora! A word! Please!"

"Ms. Jinora! Can you explain the situation?!"

"Jinora! Is it true? Is it true that-!"

Their cries fell deaf to Jinora's ears as she continued to walk though she could hear the popping sound of flashing light. She glanced up at the statue that stood over the looming building. Remodeled a couple of years ago, the only thing that remained completely untouched was the large metal statue of the first known metal bender and Republic City's first Chief of Police. On most days, the tough face of the woman gave a sense of safety as she looked over from the pedestal high above the building. Today, the eyes seemed cold and unrelenting as though the wind was bringing a sense of looming foreshadowing.

Her heart pounding against her chest, Jinora climbed up the steps slowly, opened the polished heavy door, walked into the building, and was thrown into another form of chaos. Phones were ringing off the hook and officers were running back and forth. The noise was familiar to her ears, yet today there was a sense of urgency, a spark of excitement, and a hint of fear. The buzzing heat from the room wasn't helping; finally, Jinora carefully opened the palm of her hand. Breathing calmly and clearing her mind, she concentrated on her hand and slowly the air around her gathered into a small vortex. The best thing about being an airbender was having one's own cooling system whenever one needed.

"Professor Jinora?" A thirty-something year old man with a small goatee materialized from the chaos; the lack of segmented metal pieces on his navy black uniform suggested that he was not a metalbender. His sharp and thin face accentuated his puffy eyes and pale skin had given him the appearance of a ghost.

"Yes?" Jinora asked warily, immediately hiding her hand in embarrassment.

"Lt. Keima," the man saluted, "We've received word that the White Lotus council members will be here shortly. Please, if you would like, there is a chair over here. Can I get you anything?"

White Lotus members? Jinora shouldn't be surprised to hear this, but it did make her stomach feel queasy. She wasn't supposed to be here to begin with, but she refused to slip away quietly after receiving the news. Still, what would their reaction be when they see her?

"Oh no. Don't mind me," Jinora said quickly, following the man, "I am quite fine."

"Well, I was told that you might want this. Everything you need to know about him is in here." The man handed a small portfolio. It was thin as though an empty book ready to be filled with chapters.

"No," Jinora said automatically, pushing the folder away. It didn't feel right to her – to know such the person of interest first without talking to them. "I'm only here to ask some questions without any bias. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like to be treated as a suspect or anything."

Lt. Keima merely nodded and tucked the folder back under his arm. "If you need anything, just ask someone and we'll do our best to accommodate. I'll have somebody lead you to the interrogation room when everybody is here." Jinora said her thanks and the lieutenant left to attend to other matters.

Ask questions? Why did she say that? What kind of questions could she ask? He probably couldn't even answer the ones she had, so what was the point of coming? Was she just curious or did she want to find closure?

Sitting for a few minutes, she finally checked the worn out watch on her wrist, wondering if she was early, which was a ridiculous notion now that she thought about it since she didn't come here for a scheduled appointment.

"Professor Jinora. What are you doing here?"

Jinora turned to the sound of her name and saw three elders wearing dark indigo walking toward her. Their white mantles were sewed with the white lotus symbol and radiate their importance. The only woman of the group had her hair tied up in a neat, gray bun. The few officers that noticed their arrival immediately quieted and stood up in respect before going back to work.

The eldest of the three – Yamada – was walking rather slowly and calmly compared to the brisk walk of his colleagues. In fact, his face was the only lax one of the three. Rather fit for someone in his early seventies, his eyes seemed far away and distant. He was a soft-spoken man and the only one of the three who had a close friendship with Tenzin, treating Jinora with the same respect he had with her father.

Morisaka, the man who just spoke, was a rather short and plump man. His dark tan skin contrasted greatly with his gray beard. He didn't seem to like the place and glared at the source of the noise before attempting a strained smile to Jinora.

"I'm here for the same reason as you are," Jinora said calmly and carefully.

"Hmm, I am surprised that you were also notified to come. I could've sworn that this needed to be kept as low of a profile as possible."

"A good friend told me."

"Really? Well I suppose that friend is a snooping reporter paying you to be her informant or perhaps an untrustworthy officer of this police force?"

It took all of her effort for her eyes to unemotionally look back at Morisaka's. Out of the four of them, she was definitely younger than them by at least twenty years old, yet she was the Order's spiritual advisor, one of the highest seats. She was welcomed and praised in pubic eyes because of her young and feel like they can relate to her more. It was uncomfortable to say the least for most of the White Lotus high-ranking members.

"Leave it be," Yamada said quietly. "Jinora has every right to be here too. She, too, will play an important role in this. She is, after all, our spiritual advisor and her father was also heavily involved with the search. May the spirits bring him peace now that we can finally find some answers." There was a rather awkward silence for a moment on that note.

"He is in a place like this?" Tall and thin Hei Lai asked rather sharply, though the question wasn't really directed to anyone in particular. She was the final member of the White Lotus here and had a long thin face, lined with premature wrinkles. Hei Lai was a rather stern person who pursed her lips often as though she was eating a lemon. The idea of meeting the person in the law enforcement place gave her an even sourer disposition.

Jinora did agree that this was not her first place of choice to meet such a person but it was the most secured place to hold him and not to mention he was already here to begin with.

"Oh good, you're all here." A different policeman, wearing metalbending gear this time, showed up hastily. He looked rather young, probably in his mid-twenties, and seemed rather eager to please such important people. "I am Private Lan; I'm here to escort you."

"Where is the Chief of Police?" Hei Lai looked rather taken aback by the young man and his lowly rank.

"Busy at the moment with the press."

"Very well. We'll speak to him later," Yamada said, "let's get this over with."

"Please, right this way. We have our most secure and private room ready." The clanking from the man's armor didn't help with the mood and the police officer realized this as he embarrassingly tried to tiptoe and move discreetly in his metal suit.

"Busy? What is that man thinking? Doesn't he realize who we are?"

"Hei Lai, please. The safety of the city is his top priority, not escorting a bunch of old people around the building. We have plenty of time to talk to him later."

The woman gave a sniffling sound, suggesting she was displeased with Yamada's lack of concern of the Chief of Police's lack of the respect.

They entered down a hallway that deafened the noise but still had a hushed urgency lingering in the air. Most of the doors were closed but the ones that were opened revealed small offices. They were passing one of these doors when there was a loud 'Wait!' coming from it. Jinora, recognizing the voice, turned to see a rather startling but familiar face.

"Professor Jinora!" The man grinned and saluted, "So good to see you again."

"Please, call me Jinora. We've known each other for so long."

The guy gave a hearty grin and big bear hug. In his fifties, the man stood up with his back straight like an obedient schoolboy in front of his strict teacher. He was wearing the standard metalbending uniform and a small flat cap on his head.

He was looking more like Jinora's late Uncle Bumi back in his days as a retired commander of the United Forces – slightly grayed hair, wrinkly face, a goatee – along with a growing belly that bulged out slightly from his belt. However, the boyish glitter in his eyes had not gone away and his friendly personality was still the same.

"Wait, are you him?" Hei Lai said sharply, cutting into the conversation, "The eyewitness to the scene that happened? The man who was supposed to be in charge and handled it poorly?"

"Oh, err, yes. I mean, yes mam," the man's smile evaporated and he looked rather nervous now that he realized the company Jinora was with. Hei Lai now looked as though she wanted to rip the sergeant's badge off his chest.

The man was the one who had notified Jinora about the situation and though his action was for good intention, it was a dangerous move. Jinora tried to remain as calm as possible without giving anything away. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the sergeant, who was terrible at lying, so if he was asked…

"Then you can also verify that what happened at the marketplace was completely true?" Yamada interrupted, "We've been hearing too many rumors on our way here. And quite frankly, the whole situation is rather… puzzling."

"Y-y-yes… sir." He continued to speak to Jinora but his eyes flickered to Hei Lai every so often. "I-I saw you and needed to see you and... Look, I've already given my statement so everything is in the file."

"I know," Jinora said calmly. "So what is it you need to talk about?"

"Yes, um, here is the thing." He glanced around nervously before lowering his voice into a whisper. "I know the record says that he had some… problems with us, but he is a good kid. Doesn't joke a lot and he's smart too. Just a little bit headstrong. You know; when you talk to him… just, understand that he doesn't like being talked down to. That mouth of his gets him into trouble, not all the time of course."

"You know him personally?"

"Well, yes… I mean, I am his mentor and his leader. Not for a long time and all though… I have a platoon of trainee and it was their first patrol across the city. And then… I mean, the situation was mostly my fault and it was thanks to him that things rolled over smoothly. I mean… you know… damage aside and all…" He trailed off, looking frightened.

"We will deal with the damages for another time," Morisaka interrupted, "We're more concern with what had happened. There are witnesses and they, unfortunately, cannot keep quiet. You do understand that it is your duty to not spill this out to the reporters outside."

He knows… Jinora thought fearfully and clutched her briefcase tightly. The metalbending officer looked as if he had received a huge electrical shock.

"Yes. I mean yes sir, I know, but… he's… well…" Jinora understood the struggles her friend was going through. There was another and more specific reason why he was concern about the situation. However, Morisaka was done talking to him.

"Will you show us the way now?" Morisaka asked their escort, "We are wasting valuable time."

"Yes, sir. Right this way sir." Lt. Lan along with the other White Lotus members left.

Jinora lingered behind for a moment and decided to ask the uncomfortable question on her mind. "Have you contacted your brother?"

"Mako? No, I mean…" The man fell silent for a moment. "I've lost contacted with him since... well, you know…"

"The news will spread," Jinora said softly, "He'll be back before you know it, Bolin." That was probably the only good piece of information after what had happened today.

"I hope so. But… it'll be hard on him… I mean… it's hard on me too."

"I know…"

"I should've known or at least seen it," he continued, "All this time, he was right there, in front of me a-a-and…"

"Professor Jinora," Hei Lai said waspishly, "If you're done, we have more important stuff to do." Jinora gave a tight smile, trying very hard not to look irritated.

"I'll see you later. We'll meet up after work at that seaweed noddle restaurant you like, okay?" Jinora gave a light pat and left Bolin standing. She glanced back once and could see the sadness in his green eyes. The past twenty years had been extremely hard on him even though he tried to hide it.

But then again, it had been hard on all of them.

…

As they continued down the hall, there was uneasiness among the members and rightly so. There had been many mysteries surrounding this ordeal, an ordeal that has been going on for almost twenty years. Could the answers that they were desperately searching be right in front of them?

"He is in here." The nervous guard made a swiping gesture and the wall in front of him slid open to reveal a room. It took a while for Jinora's eyes to adjust to see in the dark room.

The blast of chilly air gave a moment of relief until one actually stepped into the hushed interrogation room. The windowless room was bare except for a metal table with some nailed down chairs that seemed to blend in with the gray metal walls. A young black hair teenager wearing a long black trench coat and one shoe already took the prisoner seat at the moment. The other leg had the teenager's pant legs rolled up to the knee to reveal a tightly bandaged foot.

"Wuxing," the man announced to the room, "The Order of the White Lotus is here to see you."

The teenager, despite his stoic face and straight body posture, seemed nervous as he continued to tap his fingers on the table. The handcuffs nailed down to the metal table snapped open and shut in the same motion as the teen's finger.

_Clink… clink… clink…_ The sound had made Jinora uncomfortable, but after taking a long and strained breath, she pressed forward into the room with her colleagues.

"Knock on the wall when you're done or if there's any trouble," the guard added in a whisper before sliding the door back into a solid metal wall and leaving the four people alone in the dark room. Adjusting their eyes to the dim room, the four slowly walked their way to the chairs provided. The teenager's dark eyes seemed to glow in the dim light as they watched carefully – silent and waiting.

"Jinora, why don't you start things off?"

_Start things off?_ Jinora merely wanted to come and see the teenager and stay on the sideline. But perhaps, Yamada thought that with her profession, she would probably be best one for the job. Or maybe he wanted to give Jinora the chance to finish what her father couldn't. She took a deep breath and prayed that she won't mess up.

"Hello Wuxing. I am Professor Jinora at the Unity Academy. It is nice to meet you." If the teenager was surprised that a teacher was meeting with him in a police interrogation room, he didn't let on. His dark eyes watched Jinora carefully. The airbender decided to continue after a few moments without a response.

"These three here are important members of the Order of the White Lotus – Grandmaster Yamada, Morisaka, and Hei Lai." The three nodded and each sat next to Jinora.

The teenager stayed quiet and didn't even bat an eye after hearing the name of the prestigious and secret society. But now, he folded his arms across his chest. Bolin was right. This kid didn't look the type to open up that easily.

_Nothing like her_. They are not the same person so don't treat him like you would with her.

"Is your foot okay?" For a moment, Jinora could've sworn there was a flicker of surprise across the boy's face.

"Yes." His voice was soft and methodical. He didn't elaborate on the pain and seemed to be silently dealing with it.

"That's good… I heard you were a trainee. How has that been going?"

"Fine, until today." There was light sarcasm in his voice now.

"Was today your first day?"

"No."

"Are you from here?"

"No." These short answers were getting them nowhere and Morisaka was starting to show signs of irritation. Maybe Jinora should've read that profile before coming here.

"Okay, listen carefully Wuxing, I know so many things have happened today, but me and my friends here would like some answers from you to shed light onto this matter." Jinora explained kindly. Wuxing curtly nodded but no more.

"Please, start at the beginning. This morning to be more precise."

And so, with a slight pause, Wuxing began his story. He spoke formally and to the point, but did not leave out important and needed details. By the time he was finished; everybody's faces of doubt were gone and were replaced with concern and perhaps apprehension. For a moment, they all seemed to be at a loss of what to do next.

"Sergeant Bolin did everything by the book," Wuxing added, "He did nothing wrong. It was my fault that things gotten out of control."

_Fiercely loyal… He does have something in common with her…_

"I can only imagine what you had been going through. Such a shocking event." She paused again before asking another question,

"Wuxing, how old are you right now exactly?" The teenager was genuinely surprise now. He inspected Jinora with such intensity that she felt like she was the one being interrogated now. But behind her, Jinora could feel everybody else waiting on bated breath. It was that important of a question.

"Seventeen."

A long silence followed as everybody tried to digest this piece of information.

"Seventeen…" Yamada muttered, speaking up for the first time, "Then that means there is still a one year gap…"

"Shh!" Hei Lai hissed. This exchange didn't go unnoticed under Wuxing's sharp eyes, but the teenager continued to remain stoic and pretended he didn't see it.

"Wuxing," Jinora plowed on, trying to get back on topic, "Do you understand what had happened to you earlier?"

The young teenager indistinctively glanced down at his injured leg before looking back at Jinora. "Yes. Yes I do."

"Then you understand why we are here."

"Actually… no, not really. I do not see a point in having such a private meeting. I mean, I know what happened is a big deal, but what does that have to do with… well, you guys?" Jinora could hear confusion in his voice, but there was something else.

He's scared. Jinora finally realized. She should've known despite his stoic appearance, what happened to him today wasn't something anybody could just relate to. It is going to change him for the rest of his life. And he doesn't know what to do.

_Then again, neither do we._

"From here on out, the Order of the White Lotus will be protecting you." Jinora explained, though feeling slightly uneasy. "They will take care of your living arrangements and take care of your training."

"What?" Wuxing looked up in shock, the mask he had on was broken at this point.

"The three of us," Morisaka announced rather importantly, "and our White Lotus sentries will escort you back to your house where you will pack up your things." He got up and then added, "We ask that you wait here for your safety while we finish going over some final details."

"Wait a minute, I can't just lea-"

"Of course," Hei Lai interrupted, ready to get down to business as well and enough of the chitchat, "your family will be notified. Whom do you currently live with?"

"Look, with all due respect," Wuxing said sounding angry for the first time and got up now. He winced as he got up but refused to back down. His posture was still straight like a soldier despite his injured leg. "I do not need this kind of protection."

"And, with all due respect, I'm sure you understand that this is not up for debate," Hei Lai said in a rather cold and icy tone. Jinora opened her mouth to say something, but the kid was not done and didn't seem to be afraid to say what was on his mind.

"I am perfectly capable of handling this situation by myself. I don't need any of your… living arrangements. You can't just suddenly barge into my life like this." He was no longer scared. He was mad, real mad.

"Handle yourself? You certainly proved that at the marketplace today." She let that sink in for a moment. "Boy, this is not a trivial matter. Do not act as though you are in charge."

"I've been doing great on my own for the last seventeen years of my life before you suddenly took an interest in me," Wuxing snarled, seeming to take great offense for being called 'boy', "Why should I just go ahead and listen to you?"

"How dare yo-!"

"Hei Lai," Yamada interrupted this heated argument, "Wuxing has the right to be mad. We're uprooting him from his life, without any warning no less. I think we should at least give him the courtesy to explain why we're doing this."

Jinora, turned back to the teenager and couldn't help but give an inward sigh. She remembered being friends with a certain hot-blooded teenager with the same defiance to the idea of being confined. Had it only been thirty years ago when Jinora saw her learn how to airbend?

The teenager slowly sank back down into his chair, wincing only once from the pain in his leg. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before opening them again. Jinora saw that Wuxing had calmed down and was impressed how quickly he had done so. But he wasn't happy.

"Wuxing, do you know what happened eighteen years ago?" Yamada asked calmly.

"Eighteen…?"

"Yamada, now is not the time," Morisaka warned but Yamada continued to plow through.

"You weren't born then and yet, as strange as this may sound at first, you are connected to what happened. In those eighteen years, an important person went missing. Of course, the whole world has been told otherwise so it's not surprise you don't know. Many people of the Order of the White Lotus, myself included, have been searching for this person, but we had no luck. We know just as much as the rest of the world, which is very little I'm afraid. The theories that sprouted have been nothing substantial."

_Her body has never been found._ Jinora's hands tightened into fists and could feel the nails digging into her skin. She looked at her lap and tried to hold back the tears. They will have to use an empty casket for the upcoming funeral.

"And then we met you." Yamada gazed directly into Wuxing's eyes, which were immediately adverted.

"By tomorrow, no, by this evening, your face will be on the front of every newspaper and television screen. Not everyone is going to welcome you with open arms, especially by those who knew what happened eighteen years ago. What they will do I cannot say, nor do I want to risk your life to find out." There was an uneasy feeling rising in the room. Yamada said the uncomfortable truth with a matter of calmness and firmness in his voice.

Without needing to hear another word, Yamada got up and his colleagues followed him as well. Surprised by the abrupt end of the conversation, Jinora quickly fastened her coat and knocked on the metal wall. It slid open to reveal the same metalbender police from earlier. He looked eager for some information, but Hei Lai and Morisaka left without even glancing at the man. Grandmaster Yamada stopped at the threshold turned to face the teenager one last time.

Wuxing stared mutely at the wall opposite to him, ignoring the brightness pouring in from the opened door. Although he was not a captive inside these walls, he had never felt more imprisoned in his life. Jinora didn't know what to say, but she wished that there were something – anything – that could fix all of this.

"Although I hoped to meet you under much better circumstances," Yamada added kindly though there was a sense of sadness within it, "it is still an honor to meet you, Avatar."

And with that, the metal door slid shut again.

**Author's Notes**

Wowwwwww. Should be interesting to see how far this will go. And what has happened 18 years ago? Any theories? Hating the suspense already? :D

So about this story – I'm going out of my norm and attempt some issues not fully discussed in Legend of Korra such as benders vs. nonbenders rights and relating it with traditions vs progressive movements. There will be light-hearted stuff and actions so don't worry about that. But one of the goals of this story is to bring questions on what is right, wrong, or if there is a right or wrong answer at all. Our new Avatar will have to face these problems as well and we'll just see if the path he takes will lead to peace or destruction.

AND VERY IMPORTANT! This story will continue unless I say otherwise. I may not update for a long while but guarantee that there will be a new chapter. My New Year's resolution is to write and edit to the best of my ability to bring quality writing. But what allows quicker updates is support from you guys. Let me know what you think but please keep it tasteful.

Thank you all. I hope to see you in my reviews and Happy New Year's everybody!

**-JapanDreamer**


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